School of Biology and Ecology

National Geographic interviews Holman about newly discovered tree species

Garth Holman, a research associate in the School of Biology and Ecology at the University of Maine, spoke with National Geographic for the article, “First new species of temperate conifer tree discovered in more than a decade.” To determine whether the Ulleungdo hemlock deserved to be its own species, Holman examined samples. He found that […]

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Motherboard publishes feature on Gill

Jacquelyn Gill, a University of Maine paleoecologist, and her research is the focus of the Motherboard article, “This ecologist finds clues to Anthropocene survival in ice age extinctions.” Gill describes herself as “an ice age ecologist in a warming world,” according to the article. As an expert on the Pleistocene era and an advocate for […]

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UMaine mentioned in Press Herald profile on DOT vegetation manager

The University of Maine was mentioned in a Portland Press Herald feature on Bob Moosmann, vegetation manager for the Maine Department of Transportation. Aware of the threat that colony collapse disorder presents to bees, Moosmann wanted to promote restorative projects to help bring back pollinators. He started collaborating with counterparts at transportation agencies through New […]

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Managing cannibals

Colorado potato beetles can decimate spud crops by devouring the plants’ foliage. That’s a big problem for farmers in Maine, where the 2016 potato harvest was valued at more than $142 million. There’s more unsettling news: Each female Colorado potato beetle can lay about 600 eggs in a growing season. And the species — Leptinotarsa […]

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Mapping busy bees

University of Maine researchers have developed a tool called “BeeMapper” that will allow blueberry growers to assess the predicted wild bee abundance in the landscape surrounding their crop fields. “Having a better understanding of the predicted wild bee abundance in the landscape surrounding crop fields is important when making pollination management decisions,” says UMaine doctoral […]

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gill faculty paleoecology

Jacquelyn Gill finalist for Portland Press Herald Mainer of the Year

Jacquelyn Gill, a University of Maine paleoecologist, is one of the finalists for the Portland Press Herald’s 2017 Mainers of the Year. She helped start a conversation on Twitter that evolved into the March for Science on Earth Day 2017. “I’ve felt catapulted by this national energy around supporting science,” Gill told the Portland Press […]

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hemlock tree new species

UMaine-led team discover new hemlock species

A new species of hemlock has been identified on Ulleungdo, an island east of the Korean peninsula, which may lead to the temperate conifer being considered for conservation. The Ulleungdo hemlock (Tsuga ulleungensis) was identified by an international team led by Garth Holman, a research associate in the School of Biology and Ecology at the […]

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UMaine mentioned in Press Herald report on year’s top sustainability stories

The University of Maine was mentioned in a Portland Press Herald article that listed some of the positive actions and events related to sustainability that took place in Maine during 2017. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration allocated a grant of $908,015 for research into sustainable processing of aquacultured seaweed and development of new value-added […]

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Smith takes part in Trends in Genetics discussion

Michelle Smith, an associate professor in the School of Biology and Ecology at the University of Maine, is participating in a 10-part series in Trends in Genetics to stimulate thought and discussion on the importance of undergraduate genetics education. For the second question in the series, Smith and other experts were asked how genetics courses […]

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Postdoctoral research fellow writes BDN op-ed on national parks

Caitlin McDonough MacKenzie, a postdoctoral David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellow at the University of Maine, wrote an opinion piece for the Bangor Daily News titled, “National parks belong to Americans. They should remain accessible to all.” MacKenzie studies alpine and subalpine plant communities, climate change and conservation across New England.

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